The Beauty of Simplicity
by Mae Stark
Summary: "Didn't anyone ever tell you that there's beauty and meaning in everything?"  fluffy Pepperony, movieverse
1. Chapter 1

Here's another one I did for it's_always_been over at LJ. I'm pretty happy with this one, actually.

I don't own Marvel. I wish to goodness that I did, but I don't.

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><p>The Beauty of Simplicity<p>

Part One

When Tony wakes, he stretches and raises himself to his elbows on the bed, rubbing his eyes. He can hear someone moving around downstairs; Pepper must have already returned from her morning jog. The warm California sun streams in through the open windows, and he lays there for a few minutes before he rises from the bed and makes his way downstairs.

When he reaches the foot of the stairs, he pauses, closing his eyes and focusing as he calls on the Extremis. As usual, he feels a satisfying sense of fulfillment as he reaches out to the coffee maker and probes at it with his mind. After a few seconds, he withdraws back into himself and the machine buzzes into life. He chuckles when Pepper jumps at the sudden and harsh noise of coffee beans being ground.

She turns and glares at him, but he can see the playful glint in her eyes. "Do you have to do that _every _morning?"

Tony grins. "Yep."

Pepper sighs, shaking her head, but allows him a small smile. Tony crosses the room and sits at the breakfast bar beside the stove. "How was your run?" he asks. His restless hands become occupied with one of the several seashells on the counter in front of him. Its slight ridges soothe his ever-busy hands and mind.

"It was fine. I went down that path that runs along the ocean, the one that leads all the way to that beach where we–" She pauses, a deep blush flooding her face. Tony grins, remembering _exactly _what beach she's talking about. Her skin had been so pale, so perfect in the moonlight…

"It was nice." She finishes, pulling Tony back to the present. "I brought back some shells for that display case in the front hallway."

Tony raises his eyebrows and holds up the shell in his hand. "These shells?"

Pepper looks up from the scrambled eggs she's cooking. "Yes." She sees him smirking and freezes in front of the stove, spatula in hand. "What."

Tony shakes his head. "You're going to put _these _shells in the display? The display that everyone walks past when they enter our house?"

Pepper nods, a slightly wounded look spread across her features. "What's wrong with those shells?"

He looks down at the simple, plain white seashell in his hand. "I just thought you'd choose something more… extravagant." Tony thinks of the intricate conchs decorating a table in the living room. "It is you, after all."

Pepper narrows her eyes good-naturedly, flipping the eggs onto a couple of plates and handing one to Tony. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that there's beauty and meaning in everything?"

Tony leans across the counter and kisses her lightly. "Yeah," he says, "But beauty is nothing compared to you."

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><p>I'll post the second and final part soon.<p>

Reviews are love! 3


	2. Chapter 2

The Beauty of Simplicity

Part Two

The sun is setting low across the never-ending line of the ocean, casting deep hues of red and orange across the water. The small family walks hand-in-hand, watching the waves rise and fall across the sand. Every once and a while, they stop to dip their feet in the water or to peer at some treasure in the sand. The little girl reminds Tony of how he was at that age, so captivated by the simplest things, so full of excitement and wonder. She's a lot like him: always wanting to know more.

Something catches the girl's eye down in the shallow water and Tony allows her to pull her hand free from his. As his daughter bends to retrieve the object, Tony glances at the woman, his wife, beside him.

Pepper is watching Ellise with careful eyes, but she soon notices Tony staring at her. "What?" she asks. Tony is momentarily entranced by how the sunset brings out that perfect tint of red in her hair. He reaches out to gently grasp a lock of it, admiring the way it slides through his fingers. Not even the slippery sensation of the Extremis enfolding him in its power can rival this.

"I just can't believe that she's four years old already."

Pepper smiles. "I know. I remember when I first told you that you were going to be a father."

Tony smiles along with her, remembering the moment as perfectly as if it had happened yesterday. "Best day of my life," he says, "along with the day I married you."

Her grin widens, those little crinkles at the edges of her eyes showing. "You're a great dad, you know that?" Pepper whispers, squeezing his hand happily.

His eyes fill with sudden moisture. "I try. I just want her to have the childhood I never had."

Pepper raises her hand to rest it on his cheek. "She does, Tony. And you've given that to her."

They don't say anything more, they just stand there ankle-deep in the water, staring deep into each other's eyes, basking in the glow of the moment. Tony finally tears his eyes away from Pepper's when he feels a slight tugging on his shirt.

"Daddy?" Ellise calls impatiently, releasing the fabric of his shirt to grab his hand.

Tony looks down at her, smiling slightly. "Yeah, Ellie? What've you got there?"

The girl holds out her small hand, revealing the shell she's found. Its markings are simple; it's just a plain, white shell. "This is for you, Daddy."

His heart swells as he takes the shell from her. He's received cars and expensive suits and ridiculously advanced technology as gifts before, but nothing compares to this. Even though it's a simple shell, it's so much more: it's a reminder of who he is and what he's had to do to become that person; it's a symbol of the thing he treasures most in this world; it's the most beautiful gift he's ever received. He looks up at Pepper and feels the strength of a million adamantium cables holding him in this moment. And then he knows that this is where he belongs, forever. Right here between his wife and his daughter.

Thank you, sweetheart." He whispers.

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><p>And that's the end of this one! Hope you enjoyed.<p> 


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